Scotty Pippen Jr., son of NBA legend, commits to Vanderbilt basketball team

Scotty Pippen Jr., the son of former NBA player Scottie Pippen, committed to Vanderbilt on Friday.

He wrote in a tweet: "I would like (to) thank God for blessing me to be able to play the game that I love. I would also like to thank everyone who has ever supported me. A huge thank you to my parents and the rest of my family for always supporting me and helping me be the best that I could be. I would like to thank my coaches, trainers and people around me who have pushed me to the next level and helped me reach where I am today. I want to thank all of the coaches who took time and recruited me. With that being said, I would like to announce my commitment to VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY #AnchorDown.

Pippen Jr., a 6-foot-1 guard from Chatsworth, Calif., is a recruit in the class of 2019. He is listed as a three-star point guard in the 247Sports composite. Pippen Jr. has offers from Vanderbilt, Washington State, Colorado State, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis and San Francisco.

Photo: Jon Lopez

“I’m headed to Vanderbilt,” Pippen Jr. told 247Sports on Friday. “I picked them because I have a good relationship with the coaches. I like the school a lot. I think it’s a great fit for me academically and athletically. I feel like they needed me at the point guard position.”

“They just needed a point guard. They want me to come in right away and be able to play the point and help run the team.”

Pippen Jr. said the coaching staff was among the deciding factors.

“I would probably say the coaches and how they trusted me and the relationship I have with coach (Bryce) Drew and coach (Jake) Diebler,” Pippen Jr. said.

Pippen’s father was an NBA teammate of Vanderbilt coach Bryce Drew on the Houston Rockets in the 1998-99 season. That was after Pippen had already won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls alongside Michael Jordan, been a seven-time All-Star and earned a spot on the NBA’s Top 50 players list of the first 50 years in 1996.

Zion Williamson #1 (R) and RJ Barrett #5 of the Duke Blue Devils get pumped up after Barrett scored a basket during the second half of the game against the San Diego State Aztecs. Darryl Oumi, Getty Images